Initially met with skepticism from movie enthusiasts and box office analysts, Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement of a Willy Wonka prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory raised eyebrows. Despite the initial doubt, the studio’s decision has turned out to be a wise one. Wonka has not only silenced critics but has also contributed an impressive $23.7 million to its global box office earnings. With the current total gross surpassing $500 million, the possibility of the film reaching a final box office haul exceeding $600 million is now within reach.

Due to Wonka’s conservative $125 million production budget, the film has demonstrated considerable profitability for WB, even factoring in marketing expenses and the share of ticket revenue distributed to cinema owners.

Reflecting on his involvement in the project, Chalamet shared with Vogue, “To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy. That’s why I was drawn to it. In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there’s so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate.”

Adding to the positive outlook, Director Paul King has already expressed his willingness to embark on the development of a sequel.